Time switch



Dec. 1, 1925.

J. G. STEISS TIME SWITCH Original Filed Jan. 8, 1923 Patented Dec. 1,

JOY-IN GORDON STEISS, O KITCHENER, ONTARIO, CANADA.

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Application filed January 8, 1923, Serial No. 611,505. Renewed October 15, 1925.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN GORDON S'rnrss, of the city of Kitchener, in the county of lVaterloo, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for making or breaking an electric circuit at a predetermined time and my object is to devise means whereby an ordinary alarm clock movement may be utilized, at very moderate expense, to actuate a rotary snap switch.

I attain my object by means of the constructions hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a rear view of an alarm clock provided with my switch operating mechanism;

Fig. 2 a side elevation of the same looking in the direction of the arrow at the left hand side of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 a detail of the ratchet clutch connection between the winding arbor of the alarm train and the gear wheel concentric therewith.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the difierent figures.

A is an alarm clock of ordinary type, preferably provided with an eight-clay time train. 13 is the winding arbor of the alarm train of the clock and C the rock arm adapted to be vibrated by the alarm train and which usually carries the hammer. D is the hammer stem, from which, however, the hammer is removed. These parts are old in the art and my invention lies in the connection therewith of the parts I will now describe.

1 is a frame suitably secured to the case of a clock and carrying a rotary switch 2 of any ordinary type, preferably bi-polar, and arranged so that a quarter turn of its spindle 3 moves the switch from ofl? to on or vice versa. This switch is adapted to be rotated from the winding arbor B through the medium of a gear train comprising the gears 4, 5, 6 and 7. This gearing is shown so proportioned that a quarter revolution of the arbor B corresponds to a quarter revolution of the switch but other arrangements are possible. The gear wheel 1, which is concentric with the arbor B, is driven from the arbor through the medium of a pawl and ratchet device 8 so that the alarm train may be wound without interfering with the gearing for operating the switch. It will be understood, of course, that as in all ordinary alarm clock mechanisms, when the alarm train is tripped from the time train, the arbor B starts to rotate and the rock arm C to vibrate. The gear train then starts to rotate the switch. But these movements normally continue until the spring of the alarm train runs down and the switch would thus be alternately moved to the on and off position. To prevent this, I provide the following mechanism.

On the gear wheel 1 I form or connect one or more arc-shaped members 9 separated by gaps 10. When the device is all set for action, the end of one of these arc-shaped members is in engagement with the end of the lower arm of a detent 11 pivoted at 12 on the frame 1. A coil spring 13 tends to draw this detent over to a position to engage the stem D and prevent its movement.

The operation of the device is as follows. Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. l, as soon as the alarm mechanism is tripped, the gear train driving the switch is set in motion by the rotation of the arbor B. This movement continues until the lower end of the detent drops into one of the gaps 10, thus permitting the detent 11 to be drawn into engagement with the stem D, thus stopping the movement of the alarm train. This occurs immediately after the switch has been moved from the on to the oil position or vice versa. The device is reset by rotating one of the gears of the gear train. I show for this purpose a finger grip 14 connected with the gear wheel 6. By rotating this the switch is reset and the gear wheel 4: rotated until one end of the next arc-shaped member 9 engages the detent and holds it free of the stem D.

lVhat I claim as my invention is 1. In a time switch the combination ofalarm clock mechanism including a vibratile rock arm and a winding arbor which rotates when the alarm train is in motion; a rotary switch; a gear train adapted to rotate the switch and including a gear wheel concentric with said winding arbor; a pawl and ratchet connection between the said gear wheel and the arbor permitting the arbor to be rotated to wind the alarm train; a pivoted detent; means tending to move the detent to prevent the operation of the rock arm; and means rotating with the gear wheel aforesaid adapted to hold the detent in inoperative position a sufiicient length of time after the alarm mechanism has been tripped to enable the gear to actuate the switch.

2. In a time switch the combination of alarm clock mechanism including a vibratile rock arm and a'winding arbor which rotates when the alarm train is in motion; a rotary switch; a gear train adapted to rotate the switch and including a gear wheel concentric with said Winding arbor; a pawl and ratchet connection between the said gear wheel and the arbor permitting the arbor to be rotated to wind the alarm train; a pivoted detent; means tending to move the detent to prevent the operation of the rock arm; and means rotating with the gear wheel aforesaid comprising an arc-shaped member adopted to hold the detent in inoperative position a su'fiic'ie'nt length of time after the alarm mechanism has been tripped, to enable the gear to actuate the switch.

Signed at Kitchener this 26th day of December 1 922.

JOHN GORDON STEISS. 

